I’ve been a little sick this week–nothing major, just a little sick. But sometimes, even when you’re feeling under the weather, you still have to go out into the public and do stuff. You still have to work or run errands or keep appointments. Unless it’s something serious, a little sickness generally doesn’t halt your life. And with that being the case, it made me want to sit down and talk about how I continue looking ‘put together’ when I don’t particularly want to and would rather be wearing my fluffy robe.
I mean this in the least snooty way possible: I always get comments from people like, “You always look so nice.” They tell me I always look put together. I look dressy or fancy. And I attribute this to three things:
- It’s always been my motto that if you look good, you feel good.
- I have a kind of power complex where I hate not being taken seriously. So I do everything I can to remove all reason to doubt me.
- I just tend to wear real pants … and not sweats or leggings.
So whether you’re feeling down or simply and unfortunately have to leave the house to converse with the general public, these are my tips for appearing to have your shit together.
Face Prep:
I don’t feel clean or productive until I’ve washed my face and applied my skincare. I may not wear makeup everyday, but I have to make sure my skin feels and looks good. I have skincare routines for morning and night, and that works for me. If splashing your face with water in the morning and calling it a skincare routine works for you, then do that. But if you don’t feel good about your face situation, you aren’t going to emulate that you do to anyone.
It’s all about the eyes:
Has anyone ever come up to you and said, “You look tired.” … Yeah, same. Your eyes can tell a lot about you, including if your tired, not feeling, not having it today, so I’ve made two best friends. Concealer and sunglasses. My eyes don’t tend to get red, so I don’t need to grab for eye drops, but the dark circles are intense. Concealer, well, conceals them. And sunglasses will make you look fabulous wherever you are. Sometimes I just refuse to take them off. And, to me, the bigger the more fabulous. Because they also cover a larger area, so more sun protection. (;
Be confident in your makeup routine:
When I’m running late or going to an event that I want to know my makeup will look good and last, I stick to what I know. Instead of trying out new products and techniques, I grab my tried and true products. I apply them in the way I know works well. For me, I feel confident going through an event knowing my makeup is performing. You don’t want to spend your time worrying if your foundation is breaking up on your face, because that will come across to others.
I suggest having go-to makeup routines. I have a no-makeup makeup look, an everyday look, and evening look generally. I know the products well and I know they work for my skin. And if you’re in a hurry, they are readily available, and you don’t have to spend time thinking it out.
Know your uniform:
Like being confident with the makeup you’re wearing, you don’t want to be fussing with your clothes while you’re trying to portray confidence and togetherness to the public. This also comes in handy for people who “never have anything to wear.” Knowing which pieces work with other pieces, flatter your body, and are appropriate for the occasion will make dressing for it a breeze.
For example, I know that I love the way I look in my Levi 721s, a white button down, sleeves rolled up, and loafers. If a friend springs last minute shopping plans on me, I know what to throw on. Having a few of these for every day, work, evenings, etc, will not only help you get dressed faster but will assure you look put together.
Posture Perfect:
Cheeky, I know. Even if you have to consciously remind yourself, sit up straight. Shoulders back, head up. Your posture can drastically tell a lot without you meaning to.
Do you have any surefire ways you stay looking “put together?”
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